.........biker chic .. African Queen......

            mojo  :   vooma ,  muchness , ggrrrrr factor , oomph , zing , essence , personal magic





          mojo makes one seem and feel sexy , appealing , invincible and in control........................

.......love , usually awakes the mojo.....................



.................................guess what ?   ..          i think i have mojo , being a peacock , i know !
       its in me , inherently .............., sometimes , buried quite deep

........but ............. im looking to unlock my mojo forever ..................


                           this thing called 'LIFE'..........aint going to stop me.............'

.....so when A announced to me that a conference was looming in the near future ,  and that spouses were invited along , i accepted enthusiastically.............for my own selfish reasons .............' time out '... get off the treadmill of life .............and look for my mojo ..............just love this word !
                                                       just saying it gives me ooomph!...............................

.........................................................it was to be held  @ Sun City............a mere two hours away from home ,

                                a treat ,  he booked us into The Palace @ The Lost City.....    a real life fairytale African Palace........   inspired by a fantasy lost African tribe ,

      
                                 The Palace has been lavishly created with rich architecture , mosaics and frescos that add to the mystical ambiance and magical aura.............................and if  you are reading this and are not South African , maybe the eight wonder of this world !
                       im sure that was in   Mr Kerzners vision when he began building his dream in the obscurities of  The North West Region of South Africa ..............really speaking ...........in the middle of nowhere......................

         A's career path has taken him to all sorts of faraway places , being the Mrs , i  have been fortunate enough to travel with him to fantastic destinations , sometimes  hot and exotic  .........and sometimes vibrant , fast paced , exuberant cities

.............................................experiencing our worldly world , opens up the mind , the senses , and most definitely exposes  the taste buds!............ to new possibilities ,
                                                                                gives one a larger perspective of the bigger picture of our time here in this world ...........just allows for growth on so many frontiers..............
                                    on a Naadia Note ............ i now know , i dont particularly like or enjoy ,OK ,  let me put it to you this way .............i enjoy Luxurious Travel ............period!
                   ....................Bourgeois ! .......... i know!.....................

                          so , The Palace , was going to be delicious ! ...........right ...............like the breakfasts !..............................

..........................iv decided , that out of all the aspects that i could have chosen to blog about................i HAD to choose the breakfast................yes , most definitely , ...............the breakfast did it for me ! i had three days of solitary breakfasts   .... just me , myself  , and my thoughts  , of course!  ..... perfect !

                              and did i indulge , oh , of course ! , i ate more with my eyes though , than i physically was able to............i have never ever , never ever , seen such a spread!.............................

                                           temptations to suit all palettes , ............... however differentiated you may be in your peculiarities ............ or simply  ........... whatever it was ,  that you could have salivated for .....................was there!

THE CRYSTAL COURT

     as i walked down the imposing , regal staircase every morning down to The Crystal Court .......... i must admit i felt rather like ......... ahem ............vivid imagination !!...... again ...........Marie Antoinette ..........i suppose would have felt.........at her Palace Of Versailles ................ well , a feast of feasts ................... definitely befitting of a queen .............. albeit ...... me , Naadia ............. a biker chic African Queen .............................mojo magic!

....................................and you just know , that when food is so well presented  , its going to taste as good as it looks...............

........................................................

SOME CARBS TO KICK START THE DAY!

                                     

SEEDS AND NUTS  FOR GOOD FATS....

EXOTIC FRUIT PUREE AND CUBES

MY DAILY OMELETTE CHEF............MYRIAD OF  FILLINGS

A TWO EGG OMELETTE PLEASE.....
RED ONIONS , RED AND GREEN PEPPERS , SPINACH , MUSHROOMS , CHEDDAR , FETA AND CHILLIES!

................YUM!...............

QUAIL EGGS!...........WOULD YOU LIKE THEM SUNNY SIDE UP ?..........

OYSTERS ?............NO ! THANK YOU!................

SUSHI !!...FOR BREAKFAST ?...............

WASABI........TO SUSHI ...... LIKE SALT IS TO PEPPER!

PEKING DUCK ...........FOR OUR ASIAN FRIENDS.......................

"HOLA"...............SOME NACHOS ...and guacamole ...HOT HOT HOT!!................

 FETA ! YOU ARE MY FAVOURITE !.........

PICKLED EVERYTHING ............IL PASS , THANK YOU !

PANCAKES ........... OH , I THOUGHT OF MY SON ZAYD ...........EVERYDAY!

FOR THE FRUIT FANATICS ............ NOT ME!

PETIT FOURS ?.........YES PLEASE!.............WITH A CUP OF HOT STRONG ENGLISH TEA!..........

so ............... on my search for my .. so i thought ... lost mojo

i say with...............MUCH contemplated thought.................

it has always been with me.............

and my zest for life , will ensure , that ,

it always is ......................................................................

       

Life is not about

finding yourself...................

Life is about

creating yourself.....................

                                                                                                                                                                                    .............   

..............prawn CHOWder & CHATTER.................

...........A and i............have been going to Montego Bay restaurant at The Nelson Mandela Square , ever since our arrival in this fast paced , glitzy ,  glamorous town.... ...... exactly fourteen years ago !............for..........their delectable  prawn chowder........a chowder of heavenly proportions............creamy , subtle flavourings , of well , ........... cream , potatoes  and prawns!

                                simple , hearty fisherman's food...........New England fisherman..........who would throw portions of their days catch ,  alongside other staples.....milk and potatoes....together into a large pot..........creating this now famous  , globally interpreted........soup!........

     ....so.....on  a  particularly icy  winters morning..........keedos announced that they would love some   soup for dinner......and left me to my own devices...........and thoughts  ?,....


                   ..looking through my kitchen window onto the frosty  ,  misty  highveld......                        .......... through the mist.........i can swear i saw............a port ,  a  quaint fisherman's port......white bearded men , full of  wisdom and Tales  from Yonder......striped blue and white t shirts........heavy jackets to ward off the cold.................'..i went to New England .'..........that morning...........and so..........decided..would make a feisty prawn chowder for dinner................................................................. vivid imagination !..............












                  this is a dish that i created .......virtually from memories...........
                                                                                                        i recalled visually how the chowder was plated at Montego Bay ,  the aroma , which can give one a very clear idea of the ingredients used.........and i tried to recall the taste...........easy to do.......recall the last time we had had it......

 

                                    ..it was during the Fifa SoccerWorld Cup Celebrations
                                    2010!..@..The Nelson Mandela Square.!.
            what an energy, of  people ,  all in their  country's regalia...............
                                                
                                      .........what a fantastic time!......................
                 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Waka Waka!,,,,,,,,,,,,Its' time for Africa!,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

                                                                         .and it was all there..........stored in those archives
 ....i tasted the cream........the bite of the succulent prawn ,  the mellow taste of the potato , i could recall a faint taste of feta cheese.........and the beautiful scent of parsley and chives






                           ...........perfect ,  lets get stirring!


          i used the following.................
                           1.6 kg of unshelled headless prawns , deveined
                            6 to 8 large potatoes  ... cubed, boiled and roughly mashed
                            few stems  of spring onions
                            lots of green chillies...................i like it hot!.......................
                            fresh cream.....2 times 250 ml , calorie counting , like i always am ,
                            reduced fat worked very well......
                            large  tub ,  400g ,  of , again, reduced fat feta cheese
                            fat free milk


           off course........you could go the whole nine yards , and do full  cream
            everything ,  the result would be muchos  muchos!!.................

........sauteed ,  snipped spring onions ,  in melted butter
........added prawns , crushed garlic , sea salt , white pepper , freshly ground black pepper , 
........ground in green chillies , splashed in some lemon juice
........medium heat , open pot...........cooked until prawns turned fuchsia !....glorious sight..!..

.............this will take but a few minutes , so watch carefully , to avoid overcooking
.............added  in roughly mashed fresh potatoes.......
.............simmered  on low heat for a few minutes
.............added  cream   .........  simmered again
.............added  milk
.............simmered  , until thick and brothy!......

..........................i let it rest until dinner time , giving the flavours a chance to meld and added the    absolute   piece DE resistance,,,,,,,,,, the crumbled   feta cheese , more  , than would be healthily acceptable  , but then , it was low fat!
                                                after all!..............ouch!..........ease the conscience.......................
.......................................the feta oozed its way into the chowder on an easy   heat.............
                               magnifique!!!...................

       to serve...................
                                      ladle each serving into a bowl
                                      extra prawns, if you please...........
                                      a generous handful of crumbled feta cheese
                                      garnish with parsley and chives




                           what would a chowder be without  a cheesy , garlicky crusty bread ?



.........you can use a french loaf  ,  pannini........ ,
 ........for ease of eating ...for keedos... i used hotdog rolls
.........smear a thick layer of garlic butter
.........add a mix of grated mozzarella , gouda and cheddar cheese
.........dribble melted garlic butter over
.........grind over ,  sea salt and fresh black pepper
.........garnish with chopped chives

..............oven must be on high grill............watch very carefully!
..............the cheese will melt , start bubbling and the edges of the roll will get crusty and charred

......................................gather around the table ,  keedos ,  for some..................
                             prawn  CHOWder  and  CHATTER...........................................................

...............my appetite is whet.......................

    .............i have always been a thinker, a bit more on the serious side, contemplating outcomes too much, and somehow.........missing out alot on what life had to offer....................iv been told i think too much, much of the time to my own detriment.......i analyse, analyse and analyse again,,,,,,,,,,,,i woke up.......somewhere in my thirties..........and let me announce..........i am going for 40,,,,,,,,,,40 years old, that is....and feeling fabulous,,,,,,,,,iv come into my own space, a space where i reign supreme, im comfortable in my own skin,  confident in my own skin...........i pretty much like how iv turned out ..........an adult.......AT LAST..........

       

                                                                                                iv  travelled along Lifes paths.....a chosen destiny, so to say........to reach my current destination,,,,,  its been pretty tumultuous at times.........iv become even stronger ...............a plus out of a minus................... iv always in essence been an emotional persona   ..............i see and feel emotion in human relationships....i feel emotion in living life.....everyday life. that is, theres incredible emotion in everyday existence.......even just the ordinary day to day mundanes...............................like cooking,,,,,,,,i promise you,,,,,,,is no mundane to me..........its me encapsulated.......

                      really.........im always milling thoughts around .....when im driving, showering, drying my hair...............this is how i see this blog to be,,,,,,,,,,,me talking to myself........... and entertaining myself with what entertains me daily..........deciding to actually start the process of realizing my thoughts from a virtual space into a visual space has been , to put it mildly..........an opening of the floodgates  ,its like opening up a Pandora's Box........my collated thoughts,, all archived and stowed some where in those brain cells,,,,,,,,can finally be creatively processed and WOW........its a fantastic satiating feeling........to have this outlet............i really dont know where to start...............

.
                    what i can say.......is..........that the juices are flowing..............my appetite is whet..............iv got childhood cooking memoirs in those archives,,,of my dear mother.....who .........instilled in me, my passion for cooking..........sublime dishes that i have tasted in pavement cafes,,,,,,,,luxurious artistic works that i have savoured in the "Pigalles" and five star establishments..........simple comfort foods like a good toasted sarmie.........traditional authentic dishes.........that i have mastered to perfection..................theres so much that i want to share...........................................bring on the 'apertifs'................non-alcoholic, if u please!...................


                                                                               

............SO YUM...............@................So Yum..............................

.......So today, there was a separation of the sexes in our home ,,,, boys , three of them, to be numerically accurate, and their dad, my husband, whom i shall enthusiastically   (well , most of the time, anyway, ok ,  to be politically correct, some of the time)   refer to as 'A'..........in my writings .......... bade us girls,  myself and my daughter , "Adios".........in favour of  the WWE World Tour.   Tickets were bought in my physical presence, months ago, "four tickets,please".... with no invitation for us felines...........WELL,,,,,,,,we didnt want to go anyway!!!!!!!!

    that left Nabeela and i with a whole glorious Sunday afternoon.........free.........and i have been thinking about this particular Sunday in question, for a few days now..... what were we going to do?..........i had the answer,,,,quite proudly and defiantly ,  i announced to the boys and to  A that we , us girls were going to see a chick flick.."Bridesmaids"......oh yes,,,,, see you later guys,,,,,,,,toodledoo.....................

......@ the movies i realized....nope....we cudnt do the movie thing.... age restriction!..big thing in our home....and now im really thinking....what are we going to do.......the rumblings of my tummy........came to our rescue........off course........lunch!......but wait.....lets indulge, today,,,, after all,, wev been ditched, sniff sniff,,,,,,,,,,and when it comes to food,,,,,,,grin!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

  'so yum'.......is a favourite restaurant that A and i tend to frequent......... asian fusion cuisine,,,,asian style tapas,,,oodles of noodles.......soothing teas,,,,,,,,all in a sexy , sophisticated setting........it doesnt get any better,,,,, i do believe in exposing keedos to all and sundry , in terms of food  ,,, keedos , all four of them, , including Mikaeel, six years old, will happily tuck into platter after platter of sushi,,,,,,,manouvering those chopsticks with skill,,,,,,,,,its only mum, who just cant get the hang of those bloody sticks!!!!!!!! i eat my sushi with my hands,,,,,,,,its finger food,, after all............... 

 

we ordered prawn dim sum.......which is prawn steamed in a rice pastry,,,,this could be a bit bland on its own,,,,,,,,,,it has to be dipped into a fish soy sauce with chopped green chillis........the melange of tastes is subtle yet strong and spicy......its addictive!..........wasabi coated peanuts , complimentary,,,,,,and i really wanted to ask for more!,,,,,,,,,,Mains were cantonese noodles...pad thai with prawns,,,,,,,,,, the asians use similar spices ,  akin to indian spices,,, yet the variation in the outcomes of the taste of their dishes is so so different..in comparison to an indian curry........

                                i wouldnt play one off against the other,,,,,,,,theyre both unique and can be appreciated seperately.......we can eat indian today ......and .........asian tomorrow,,,,,,,,,,,after all.........variety is the spice of life!!...................

cantonese pad thai with prawns,oyster mushrooms,peppers,

spices for sprinkling over your dish,,sweet,strong and sour

prawn dim sum